In our previous post, we discussed how chlorinated water affects the eyes.
However, we didn’t explicitly discuss the common eye-related problems caused by it, either by getting splashed or swimming. The chemicals in chlorinated water can get into the eyes, causing discomfort or damaging effects, although the reason for using chlorine in water is solely to disinfect and kill microorganisms. Unfortunately, its harsh properties can cause harm to the eyes, leading to dryness, irritation, and even infections. Let’s dive into the most common eye conditions related to chlorinated water:
THE MOST COMMON EYE-RELATED PROBLEMS CAUSED BY CHLORINATED WATER
CONJUNCTIVITIS
Chlorine can also cause this condition, also known as pink eye. Conjunctivitis is the inflammation of the conjunctiva, the transparent layer that covers the white part of the eyeball; its symptoms may include itchiness, redness, and tearing of the eyes causing eye discharge and could either be bacterial or viral.
ACANTHAMOEBA KERATITIS
The infection is caused by a microorganism called amoeba that lives in water as a parasite, which means a swimming pool is an ideal spot for them to spread.
Wearing contact lenses while swimming can be a recipe for tragedy as the lenses serve as a sponge for all sorts of bacteria. If you swim with lenses on, you are at high risk of acanthamoebic keratitis as the bacteria can become trapped between the cornea and contact lens. These can lead to corneal ulcers, permanently damaging vision and causing severe infections.
IRRITATED, RED EYES
Eye irritation, itchiness, dryness, and redness can be caused by chlorine exposure because when the cornea is dehydrated due to the chlorine, irritation usually comes with blurriness that may lead to temporal distortion of vision.
We will draw the curtains here for this post, and we will discuss how to protect the eyes in chlorinated water (swimming pools) in our next post. For all eye-related issue visit us at TREETOP VISION EYE CENTRE (TREVEC), the best eye clinic in Utako, Abuja.
TREVEC CARES!!!
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